I know there is another thread about the battery issues on this camera. I have even posted there, but that thread is long and Canon seems to have forgetten about its issues with the battery. So, here is a new thread that will hopefully get Canon's attention. I do think they decided that the issue is closed after the latest firmware "fix," but it still is a problem. So, ...
Canon, please convince me to keep the SX 280. Please tell me that the latest firmware change to 1.0.2 was only one step in the process of resolving the poor battery life and hasty shutdown during the recording modes.
Do you monitor battery levels differently in picture mode and recording mode? It sure seems like it. You definitely display different levels. Is the level displayed in each mode an anticipated level and not a true level of power remaining? If this isn't the case, then I do not understand why the levels are very different in the picture-taking and video-recording modes. If the battery level starts flashing red (low battery warning) in the video mode, it should be flashing red in picture mode. Instead, we see the battery level display fully charged or partially charged when switching to the picture mode from the flashing red of the video mode.
Zooming puts a drain on the battery. No argument here. But, I think that what the camera is doing is monitoring the battery level during a zoom and if it sees the battery level drop below some line, it triggers the red-flashing or shuts off the camera. I think that the camera should allow the zoom to complete, THEN check the battery level. It might not be that low. Of course this only seems to be an issue during recordin mode.
The battery gets quite warm, almost hot. I wonder if battery life "improves" when used in cooler temperatures.
I am not sure if I am going to keep the camera. I am hoping that Canon opens it eyes and ears and uses its intelligence to really determine the cause of the battery problem and FIX IT. For now, Costco's excellent return policy will allow me to test this camera a bit longer. My tests actually show a respectable amount of battery life, but there is still a problem in the video recording mode. I am not much into video recording, but if I have it, I expect it to work. It would really be nice to know how much battery power is remaining when doing anything on this camera. I just want ONE BATTERY LEVEL that is displayed the same while in any camera mode.
